This invention relates in general to welding and in particular to a new and useful process and device for a reciprocal guidance of workpieces and tools that move relative to one another particularly for effecting rolling seam welding.
German patent disclosure No. 29 28 620 discloses a process and a device for guiding a workpiece on a rolling seam welding machine, whereby the workpiece is guided and moved with respect to the rolling seam welding machine on a pre-set path by means of a joint arrangement and a slot link. Conveyance is accomplished with this device entirely by means of the two driven contact rollers frictionally engaged with the workpiece that pull the workpiece along with the joint arrangement. It keeps to the rolling seam path thanks to monitoring by an optical sensor on the link that moves along with the joint arrangement. In order to correct deviations from the path, a special rotary drive is provided on the joint arrangement that rotates a pivoting holding trough in which the workpiece is seated counter to the direction of deviation.
The prior art device has the disadvantage that it is not well suited for components of large dimensions and heavy weight. Furthermore, a costly auxiliary device is required to control and correct deviations from the path, a device which must be changed, moreover, when the type or workpiece is changed.